Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Natural Gas Country Notes

The levels of natural gas resources and reserves quoted in the present Survey have been derived from the Pakistan Energy Yearbook 2006, published by the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources. Proved recoverable reserves have been taken as equivalent to 28.5 tcf of 'Balance Recoverable Reserves' at 30 June 2006, expressed in normalised tcf at 900 Btu/cf. The Yearbook shows this figure as being derived from 'Original Recoverable Reserves' of 49.0 tcf (1 388 bcm) by subtracting cumulative production of 20.5 tcf (581 bcm). The resulting level is marginally higher than that reported for end-2002 by the WEC Member Committee (28 288 bcf, equivalent to 801 bcm). It is perhaps illustrative of the uncertainties of resource assessment that only two of the standard published sources consulted in the course of the present Survey are agreed upon a level for Pakistan's gas reserves (Cedigaz and World Oil: 852 bcm).

Currently, the major gas-producing fields are Sui in Balochistan and Qadirpur and Mari in Sindh. Only 4% of natural gas output is associated with oil production.

Production of natural gas increased by 60% over the 5 years to 2005-06. The major markets for gas (excluding own use) in that year were power generation (40%), industrial users (24%), fertiliser plants (16%) and households and commercial consumers (16%). Rapidly growing quantities of CNG are consumed as a transport fuel.